What I Like Best About You
by Hina-chan-san
Summary: A collection of stories about how each country likes their significant other,  1-2 chapters per pairing . Pairings are or will include Giripan, USUK, PruCan, RoChu, SuFin, NorIce, LietPol, Spamano, others TBA. GerIta too, of course.
1. Have Question, Will Ask

**Title:** "What I Like Best. . .(About You)" — Have Question, Will Ask (Chapter 1)

**Pairing:** Giripan (Greece/Japan, HeraKiku), from Himeruya's "Hetalia Axis Powers."

**Summary:** When Greece has nothing else to do except watch Japan and reflect on what about Kiku he likes the most.

**Rating:** K for fluff only~ Sorry, no smut or hard yaoi here.

**Warning:** Contains country personification boy/boy, or BL, or "yaoi" pairings. Also, human names used.

**Word Count:** 1,656

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><p>Herakles Karpusi sat cross-legged, and gazed across the table, an intense expression in his sapphire-green eyes. The object of his attention? A certain nation, more specifically the personification of Japan, a.k.a. Kiku Honda. Outwardly, he was seemingly fascinated by the grace that seemed to be present in everything Kiku did, even if Kiku was only preparing tea for the two of them. However, the inner flow of Herakles's thoughts was quite different:<p>

_What do I like best about Kiku?_ he thought. This was not the first time he had asked himself this. In fact, this internal debate had been going on for as long as they had started going out. It wasn't that he couldn't think of answers; his problem lay in the fact that there were too many. Seeking to narrow the options, he focused more intensely on the smaller nation.

He studied the other man's face. The first thing he saw was the raven-black hair framing either side of the cheeks. Without having to raise a finger, he knew that those smooth locks would be soft to the touch. Next, the dark, chocolate-brown eyes. Those eyes could be curious and questioning one moment, and then swiftly change to worried and sad in — quite literally — the blink of an eye. But Japan rarely let others see what he was actually feeling, which had caused many a person to think that he was aloof or distant. It made Herakles feel even more privileged to be able to bear witness to Kiku's smiles and blushes, as well as the rare frowns and tears.

"Greece-san," his companion said softly, momentarily distracting Herakles from his ponderings. "The tea is ready."

"Ah. . .thank you, Kiku." Herakles accepted the proffered cup, and took a sip.

Herakles's gaze traveled lower. _Although I do wish that he'd wear looser clothing more often. . ._ Only the skin of Kiku's neck, hands, and feet were exposed to potentially prying eyes through the blue-green kimono that he was wearing today. _Kiku has such beautiful skin. . .it's such a waste that you hardly see any of it._ As Herakles thought this, his eyes lingered over the delicate beauty of the pale, creamy skin of the older man's hands. _Slender hands, too._ He was suddenly hit by the urge to lean over and take Kiku's hands in his own larger-built ones, but refrained from doing so. Instead, he kept sipping his tea, which was prepared perfectly, as usual.

"Would you like more, Greece-san?" Kiku asked, wondering if Herakles was all right. The Greek man nodded. He'd emptied his cup reasonably quickly, and had been sitting with it grasped loosely in his slightly tanned, callused hands. _I know Herakles-san doesn't necessarily talk very much, but he seems to be more silent than usual today._

As he thought this, he noted that his lover's normally contemplative eyes were quite intense today. In fact, now that he noticed. . .

"Herakles-san, it might just be my imagination, but. . .were you staring at me?" Suddenly realizing what he'd said, Kiku blushed a slight pink, and quickly lapsed back into silence. _Not only have I asked such a strange question, but I also called him by name! Herakles-san _did_ ask me to call him by name, but. . .it just seems forward of me, somehow. . ._

Too late. His head had already jerked up, a hint of surprise in his otherwise relaxed eyes. Then he smiled, that sweet, slightly lazy smile that Japan secretly loved. _He's so cute when he blushes like that,_ Herakles thought.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't stare at you?" he asked casually, just to make Kiku blush harder and cover his mouth with a sleeve to hide it. "I like what I see," he added honestly, inwardly smiling at the expression on his lover's face. Suddenly changing the subject, he raised his teacup slightly, saying, "Can I have more tea?"

The smaller man rushed to pour some more tea for Herakles, partly as an escape, but mostly because he knew what Herakles was up to. _H-he's teasing me!_ _That's not fair, Herakles-san!_

"T-that doesn't answer my question, Greece-san." Kiku replied, face still slightly pink. "Were you — "

" — staring at you?" Herakles smiled again. "Yes, I was. Do. . .you object?" _Hey, wait. . ._ He changed the subject again: "Did you just call me by name?"

". . .Why were you staring at me, Greece-san?" Kiku asked, hastily handing the teacup back to Herakles. He took a sip of his own rapidly cooling tea, to keep from saying anything else. _"I like what I see"?_ Kiku blushed again and cast his eyes downward, preferring to stare at his lap instead of meeting the gaze of the man sitting across from him.

_He's avoiding the subject,_ the taller man noted while drinking his tea. _Well, if he wants to play it that way. . ._ "I'll tell you. . .if you call me by name again."

Japan thought fast. "I'll call you by name if you tell me first." he countered, taking another sip of his tea. _Stalemate._

Herakles shrugged. "Fair enough," he acquiesced, placing his teacup on the table. "I was trying to decide what I liked best about you." He smiled as Kiku's face turned even redder, if that was possible. In fact, he was sure that if he looked, Kiku's ears would be flushed red.

_. . .! _

Green eyes smiled a lazy grin, revealing slight flecks of blue. "Now you have to keep your promise and call me by name again."

_No way to back out of this. . .is there?_ The elder nation was doubly flustered by his promise and Herakles's admission. Suddenly, however, he felt something that he hadn't felt a couple seconds ago — a slight pressure along his waist. Without him noticing it, the Greek had come around to his side of the table and slipped his arms around him. Not that Japan minded terribly much, but he still squirmed a bit, just on principle. "G-G-Greece-san. . .!"

"Ah-ah." Herakles smiled wider, lips curving upwards. "You said you would call me by name." He pulled Kiku closer. "I'm not letting go until you say it." Even if Kiku didn't say it, he'd still grab the chance to touch Kiku whenever he could.

Unconsciously, Kiku started leaning into the Greek's broad chest. _This is quite comfortable. . .wait, what am I thinking?_ He took a deep breath, face still slightly flushed. _A-all right. . ._ Before he lost the courage, he straightened up just enough to reach the Grecian's ear, and whispered quite softly into it:

_"Herakles-san. . ."_ That soft, breathy voice whispered into his ear. Herakles jerked slightly, startled. _I didn't expect Kiku would really say it. . .he should do that more often._ But apparently, the Japanese had taken that slight jerk as a negative reaction, for he started to pull away from the embrace.

Kiku felt Herakles flinch a little bit under him, and he'd started to pull away. _I thought Herakles-san would like that. . .did I go too far?_ But no, those strong arms pulled him even closer. Hesitantly, Kiku tilted his head up.

"Did Herakles-san not like it?" Kiku asked, an anxious tremor in his voice. Perhaps that was due to the fact that since Herakles had pulled Japan closer, Kiku was practically cradled on the Greek's lap? No matter what the reason, Herakles suddenly found that Kiku was looking directly into his face. Dark brown stared into clear green, and for a few precious moments, there was something intangible passing between the two.

* * *

><p>Greece laughed. <em>. . .?<em> "Herakles-san?" The Japanese man frowned slightly and wondered why his lover was so amused. _I don't recall doing anything amusing. . ._ He was soon distracted from the thought by the Greek's next words.

"Kiku, your reactions are so cute." Noting the quizzical expression on Kiku's face, he elaborated: "Before this, it would've been a bit harder to persuade you to call me by name. But now, you're doing it freely." He laughed and shook his head, windblown curls fluttering. "I rather like this type of persuasion."

_"Cute"? Is that what Herakles-san thinks of me?_ Japan sighed, and touched his forehead to Herakles's toned chest. "Herakles-san, you're incorrigible." He closed his eyes, dark hair falling forward softly to mask them as he leaned more into Greece. _But he does make a very nice pillow. . ._

_"Incorrigible?" Interesting word choice._ Herakles chuckled softly. "But that's why you love me so much, right?" he enunciated slowly, enjoying his revenge as he sensed the small Japanese man twitch.

Kiku jumped. Those words had been whispered into his ear, just as he'd done himself to the Greek earlier. _If you say so. . ._ he was tempted to say, lips posed to do just that. But in order to reach the shorter man's ear, the taller Greek had had to lean over, which meant that Kiku was now pressed more firmly against Herakles's chest, as well as enfolded in Herakles's arms. Slightly embarrassed by so much bodily contact at once, Kiku murmured instead: ". . ._Hai_." _Did Herakles-san hear that, I wonder?_

Herakles was happy to hear that soft admission, so he didn't say anything, in fear that Kiku wouldn't say anything further, or try to pull away. _"Let sleeping dogs lie," right?_ Besides, there was something he wanted to ask Japan.

Greece suddenly leaned his forehead to Japan's. _Is something wrong?_ Kiku was about to ask, when his lover suddenly said:

"Kiku, can I ask you something?"

_Thank God._ The elder of the two softly exhaled. _It looks like Herakles-san is fine. _"Go ahead and ask," he said absentmindedly, enjoying the feel of the other's back under his hands as he gave his permission.

"What. . .does Kiku like best about me?"

* * *

><p>[EDIT 7.28.12 - 7.29.12]:<p>

This series has been reformatted to match my other, more recent fics and edited/added to. I hope you enjoy the newer, updated version. c: I am currently working on the next installment, so for everyone that is STILL waiting for this series to continue, I apologize and thank from the bottom of all my dokis... /x_x/ *bows*

If you want to encourage/motivate me to work faster, feedback would be great! Like, just tell me your favorite parts or which pairing you're really looking forward to. That'll help me determine the order of pairings that I'll write after GerIta.

I **do not own** the characters Honda Kiku/"Japan", Herakles Karpusi/"Greece", or Axis Powers Hetalia; they belong to/were created by Hidekaz Himeruya-sensei. Kthxbai!

...And yes. Kiku is letting his tsundere out. *happy dance!* C: *heart*


	2. No Words Needed

**Title:** "What I Like Best. . .(About You)" — No Words Needed (Chapter 2)

**Pairing:** Giripan (Greece/Japan, HeraKiku), from Himeruya's "Hetalia Axis Powers."

**Summary:** Curiosity doesn't always have to kill the cat, does it?

**Rating:** T for fluff and hints between boys only~ Sorry, no explicit smut or hard yaoi to be found here; if that's what you want, you gotta wait until I actually write some!

**Warning:** Contains country personification boy/boy, or BL, or "yaoi" pairings. Also, human names used.

**Word Count:** 1,161

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><p><em>"What. . .does Kiku like best about me?"<em>

Japan didn't answer right away. In fact, Greece noted that he wasn't doing much of anything, other than fiddling with his kimono sleeve. _. . .?_

Kiku fidgeted in Herakles's arms. _H-how am I supposed to just answer that if you ask so suddenly?_ _Herakles-san!_ "I. . ." _I what?_

Herakles sighed dramatically. _I know that it's hard for Kiku to say what he feels out loud, but I thought we were past that already. . ._ "Kiku can't think of _anything_ he likes about me?" Herakles asked jokingly, head dipping to give Kiku a chaste kiss on the forehead.

Kiku flushed. _Does he really have to touch me like that all the time? . . .Not that I don't _like_ it, but. . .Herakles-san_ _is a very nice kisser. . ._ Herakles could make even a kiss on the _forehead_ seem seductive by mere association. _. . .! I'm getting distracted! _Tilting his head slightly, Kiku pondered the Greek's question. Unconsciously, he started fidgeting again.

Herakles could feel him fumbling with his sleeves, and frowned, tugging Kiku a bit closer. _Is Kiku cold or something?_ "There's nothing at all that Kiku likes about 'Herakles Karpusi?' " _Or maybe he just doesn't want to answer the question. . .should I change the subject?_ His hands started to drift down to Kiku's slim waist.

_?_ ". . .In all fairness, Herakles-san never answered his own question." Kiku slowly murmured, as if he was still thinking it over. Inside, he was panicking. _Herakles-san is rather forward today. . . Although. . .it's comfortable when his hands are touching me. Like he'll never let me go. . .What am I thinking? Have I been reading too much shōjo manga again?_ _Next thing I know, I'll probably be seeing sparkles and flowers everywhere. . ._

The Greek tilted his head to the side slightly, and laughed quietly. "That's true." His laugh reverberated through Kiku's senses: the vibrations, the sound, the satisfaction all contained in that one laugh. _. . .Ah, that feels. . .nice. . ._ Kiku bit his lip hesitantly, then carefully brought his own arms around Herakles. _This doesn't feel too awkward, does it?_

Herakles smiled warmly to himself, feeling the Japanese man's arms around him. _It's nice. . .that Kiku feels like he can let his guard down around me. I'd be lying if I said that I haven't been waiting for a while. . ._ An idea suddenly struck him. "Hey, Kiku. . . —"

"— why don't we make a list?"

". . .A list?"

"A list. . .y'know, of things we like about each other."

The smaller man considered it. _It's a pretty good idea. . .and not as much potential for embarrassment. . .right?_ "Okay." Suddenly, he frowned. _But I don't want to move._

Herakles glimpsed Kiku's face in his peripheral vision, and caught a breath. _Is Kiku pouting at me?_ Impulsively, he leaned forward to kiss Kiku lightly on the cheek. "And why is Kiku pouting at me so cutely?" Greece asked, smiling when Kiku's facial expression only got more adorable when he posed the question.

"I am _not_ pouting!" Kiku protested vehemently, that remark being too much for his pride. _I refuse to tell Herakles-san that I was "pouting" because I didn't want to move!_ Kiku sat up reluctantly, letting go of Herakles's waist.

_Hm?_ "Kiku, why did you let go?" _Having him initiate a hug is rare. . ._

"I have to get paper and something to write with, Herakles-san. You wanted to make a list, right?" The Japanese man was already angling his head so the Greek couldn't see it. _Am I blushing again?_ _Never mind. Where did I put that notepad?_

"Ah." With that, Herakles let go. _Kiku's not looking at me. If he didn't want to sit like this any more, why didn't he just say so?_

He appeared a few minutes later, notepad and pencils in hand. _At least my blush should be cooled off by now. . .but why was the paper not on my desk? I should tidy up later, I suppose._

To Herakles's dismay, Kiku sat across the table, instead of back in his lap as he'd hoped. _Too bad,_ he sighed mentally, keenly feeling the loss of that opportunity. He took the paper and pencil Kiku offered him, and started to write.

_What is he smiling about?_ Kiku didn't understand. What was so funny about a list? _Anyway. . .I should get started._ He ran his eyes slowly down Herakles. _First, the hair._ Kiku smiled at the two unruly curls atop Greece's head. _His hair would be fun to play with. . .another time, perhaps._ It went on the list. _Next, the face._ Blue-green eyes were surrounded by untamed tendrils of hair. _The eyes,_ Kiku decided, and wrote it down. They were exotic in comparison to his own. Unconsciously, a smile was starting to tug at the corners of his mouth.

Herakles was having trouble narrowing down things to write, so he just decided to write them all down. _Why not?_ he thought. _It's not like there's a shortage of things to like about Kiku. Like the way he's smiling right now. . ._

Kiku rather thought that Herakles was very like a cat. After all, he slept like cats do, and the eyes, lazily alert. . . "_Every movement you make is cat-like._" He covered his mouth with a sleeve as he wrote it down. _I wonder what Herakles-san's reaction to that would be. . .?_ It wasn't that hard to imagine what Greece _might_ do. . . _Ahem._

* * *

><p><em>(A while later. . .)<em>

"Herakles-san." Kiku shook the other, attempting to wake him from his nap. "I'm done with my list." It wasn't working. Kiku hesitated, then made up his mind. The small Japanese man slowly bent over — smiling softly to himself — before carefully planting a small kiss on his lover's lips.

The Grecian man had been slowly drifting into consciousness, spurred on by Kiku's gentle shaking. _Did I really fall asleep? It was a nice nap. . ._ he thought nonchalantly to himself. The last thing he'd been expecting was a wake-up call — or, in this case, a wake-up kiss. It didn't really matter to him either way — one of the things he'd put on his list was Kiku's unexpected shows of affection that happened from time to time. Herakles's arms slowly drew Kiku into an intimate embrace as the kiss deepened.

The elder of the two was again situated in Herakles's lap, but wasn't planning on leaving it for a while this time. _In fact. . ._ "What'd you put on your list?" his lover murmured, an anticipant grin evident in his voice.

In reply, Japan smiled innocently, and whispered into the other's ear:

"Why don't I _show_ you instead. . .?"

Herakles needed no more explanation after that.

* * *

><p>[EDIT 7.28.12 - 7.29.12]:<p>

This series has been reformatted to match my other Hetalia fanfics. I've edited a bit, so I hope you enjoy the newer, updated version. c: (I am currently working on the next installment, so for everyone that is STILL waiting for this series to continue, I apologize and thank you from the bottom of all my dokis...)

If you want to encourage/motivate me to work faster, **feedback would be great** and is the most effective! Tell me your favorite parts of this chapter or which pairing you're really looking forward to in a review: that'll really help determine the order of pairings that I'll write after GerIta.

I do not own the characters used here or Axis Powers Hetalia; they belong to/were created by Hidekaz Himeruya-sensei. Kthxbai!

...I think I'll upload this chapter to dA after I get online tomorrow... I should go to sleep soon. Dx Well, until next time...


	3. GerIta WILBAY Prologue

GerIta—"What I Like Best. . .(About You)" Prologue

"Hello?" Feliciano Vargas was, to quote himself, 'visiting' Japan's house. (This time, he had a reason to visit, though — he'd found a new pasta recipe that had turned out pretty good, and he wanted to give Kiku some.) "Is anyone here?" He shrugged, and tried the door. Surprisingly, it was unlocked. "Ve~? It's not like Kiku to leave his front door open. . ." Nonetheless, Italy poked his head into Kiku's house.

"Kiku. . .?" Feliciano called his friend's name softly. After all, he didn't want to seem like he was a robber; he'd heard from America what had happened when Alfred had dropped by Japan's house unexpectedly to invite Kiku to his Christmas party. He shuddered softly. Germany could be scary, it was true; but Kiku could be a lot more scary if he wanted to. He certainly didn't want to find himself on the business end of Japan's katana. After all, the katana itself might be mostly ceremonial, but the fighting skill behind it was not.

The Italian frowned. It was about 11 in the morning, shouldn't Kiku be up already? It wasn't uncommon for the Japanese man to be up as early as 5 or 6. _Maybe. . .Kiku's not feeling well? He might be bedridden,_ he thought. Worried now, he decided to check the house. Heading down the hall, he kept calling his friend's name, checking the rooms on either side.

". . .—ku? Kiku? Are you OK?" Honda Kiku slowly floated into consciousness. _. . .Is someone calling my name?_ He groaned and shielded his eyes against the burst of sunlight emitting from the partially open window near the bed, and smiled as the light hit a far more pleasant sight — meaning the still-sleeping Greek stretched out on the bed beside him. Still half-asleep, Kiku ran a hand through Heracles's hair, lazily enjoying how the movement disheveled the other's hair. _But. . .Heracles-san is not yet awake, so whose voice was calling my name? Was it just a dream?_

As if summoned, the voice came again, much closer this time: "Kiku? Are you in here?" _Oh no._ Fully awake now, Kiku suddenly jerked the futon up to cover himself (and to a certain extent, his lover) — accidentally waking Greece up in the process — but it was too late. The door opened.

Feliciano frowned. Kiku wasn't anywhere that he'd looked; so he figured that Japan was in his room, after all. If he wasn't at home, Italy decided, he'd just have to come back later and leave a note in the meantime. _I'll just check Kiku's room first,_ he thought, and opened the door.

". . .Ah." _Well,_ Italy thought, _I wasn't expecting to find Greece here too!_ He smiled, happy for his friend. _Although I can't say that it was a complete surprise. I told Ludi that they liked each other~!_ "Sorry Kiku, I'll wait in the living room," he apologized sheepishly, backing out slowly. "Good morning, Greece," he added, almost as an afterthought before closing the door quietly. Feliciano thought he heard the Greek murmur something in reply, but it was cut off when the door slid shut.

"Morning." Heracles replied softly, but he wasn't sure if the retreating Italian heard it before the door closed. Glancing at the small man in bed beside him, he remarked, "Well. . .that was. . ._unexpected_." Japan was frozen in a state of God knows what — embarrassment? humiliation? — and didn't say anything in reply. "Kiku? Are you OK?" he said softly, arms reflexively wrapping around Kiku in an effort to comfort the Japanese.

Kiku was momentarily petrified. _Why is Feliciano-kun here? More importantly, how did he get in?_ If there was an entrance that he somehow didn't know about, then he needed to secure it for safety reasons. _This is _my_ house, after all!_ But something occurred to him — he wasn't as embarrassed to have been seen (naked!) in bed with Greece as he probably should have been. Sure, his sense of propriety was mildly disturbed to have been seen in that situation, but the rest of him was, in fact, proud. He shook his head to clear it, and smiled. He wasn't ashamed of "_being_" with Greece. _I was once, but that did nothing but cause us both heartache._ He smiled softly, and answered Heracles's embrace with one of his own.

Kiku smiled one of his rare, peaceful smiles. "I'm sorry, Heracles-san, I wasn't expecting Feliciano-kun to visit today. To be honest, I've no idea as to how he got in." Heracles wasn't paying much attention to Kiku's apology, though; he was slightly more preoccupied with the fact that Kiku was hugging him back. "I know," he said quietly. Then, playfully, he said, "But as long as you're in an apologetic mood, how about giving us a 'Good-morning' kiss?"

Japan laughed, but did so tentatively, murmuring, 「おはよう ございます。」. "Now, we should get dressed before Feliciano-kun thinks that we forgot all about him," Kiku sat up, the futon slowly sliding down to expose the skin of his torso. Feeling the Greek's appreciative scrutiny on the exposed skin, Kiku threw a final playful parry over his shoulder as he headed to the closet: ". . .There will be plenty of time for '_that_' later, won't there, Heracles-san. . .?"

_~To Be Continued~_


	4. GerIta WILBAY 1

GerIta—"What I Like Best. . .(About You)" 1

Feliciano hummed absent-mindedly to himself as he waited patiently for Kiku and his boyfriend to reappear. _After all, that's what they are, even if hardly anyone knows about it._ He stifled a yawn. _Although I suspect France-oniichan might have a sneaking suspicion about them. . .but that's to be expected, isn't it?_ Was it really that time of day already? _Well, I did go to bed late last night. . ._ Before he knew it, he spiraled slowly down into a comfortable siesta.

Next thing he knew, Italy was lured to consciousness by the mouth-watering, unmistakable aroma of. . .pasta? He leisurely cracked open one eye, and was greeted by the sight of an apron-clad Kiku tending something in the kitchen. _Ve~ It must be the pasta I brought over._ He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, Kiku was setting out plates for four, assisted by Greece. _Four?_ Confused, the Italian man tilted his head to the left, wondering, "_who's the _fourth _pers —"_

— when he was unexpectedly cuffed lightly on the head. "I see you're finally awake, then," observed an unmistakably deep voice from above, slight amusement flavoring his comment. "How was your siesta?"

Feliciano immediately brightened, and turned to give the German an enthusiastic hug. "Hi, Ludi!" Italy beamed. "When did you get here? Was I really sleeping that long? I thought you went out to hang with Gil-niichan for a while~!"

Ludwig held up his hands, flustered at the sudden rush of questions. "Slow down a little, Feli, OK?" his voice said, but his eyes said, _"I'm happy to see you too."_ A smile tugged at the corners of Germany's normally stoic mouth as he thought, _He's cute right after he wakes up, isn't he?_ _I can't grin like an idiot like I want to, though; he'd ask me why if I did._ "I haven't been here that long, actually," he explained as the four settled down to eat. "I got here a little while ago."

"I called Ludwig-san to tell him that you fell asleep over here." Japan added as Ludwig started to eat his pasta. "I wasn't sure how long you'd be asleep this time. . .ah, thank you, Heracles-san." (This last bit was directed toward the Greek, who'd passed Kiku another serving of pasta.) Kiku resumed his explanation: "Fortunately, you woke up just in time for lunch."

"You've only been napping for about an hour, maybe less. We didn't want to disturb you." Heracles spoke up. "In my opinion, one can never have too many naps," he drawled, one hand stroking one of the omnipresent cats that seemed to follow him everywhere.

"Heracles-san, if you slept all the time, you'd never get anything done." Kiku scolded, although both Germany and Italy noticed that the comment lacked bite.

"True," the Grecian smiled. "If I slept all the time, then I couldn't eat pasta with you, could I?" Kiku blushed lightly, and shook his head slightly. Their gentle bickering faded into background noise as Ludwig turned towards Feliciano, both their servings of pasta long gone.

Feli slipped an arm around Ludwig's, face turned upwards to softly remark, "They're cute together, aren't they?"

Germany nodded, and said softly, "Yeah. I guess you were right." _I wonder how long they've been a couple?_

Italy smiled, satisfied that his Ludi was in agreement and that he'd remembered their conversation. _It shouldn't surprise me anymore. Ludi always remembers what I say. . .oh! That reminds me._ "Ve~ Ludi, was it OK for you to come back early? You don't get as many chances to see Gil-niichan as you used to, right?"

Italy had an interesting habit of bouncing ever so slightly when he was eager to hear someone's answer, causing his errant curl to bob. _Hmm._ Ludwig shrugged, realizing that Italy was right in one aspect. _"I guess I've just been wanting to spend more time with you."_ It was on the tip of Germany's tongue, but to actually say it was a different story. . . "It's OK— I think he was gonna have to ditch me anyway. I'm pretty sure Canada called him just as I was leaving, so they were probably gonna go out together." He shrugged, and blushed. "If he's gonna hang out with Matthew, then he shouldn't mind if I ditch him first and do the same with you, right?"

Feliciano smiled. He liked it when his Ludi had that expression on his face—it reminded him all over again that the blond was _his_ and not someone else's. _Ludi is _mine_, and he loves _me_._ Quickly, before Germany could react, he quickly stretched upwards so he could peck the taller man on a flushed cheek. _Too bad I'm not a little taller, though~._ "Ve~ I dunno, when they started going out, I was afraid that it might not work, though~ But it seems to be going pretty well for him and Mattie, so that's good~!" Feli laughed at this admission.

On the other side of the table, Kiku let out a mental sigh. _Heracles-san really is incorrigible. . .I can't believe he really said that in front of Feliciano-kun — well, never mind Feliciano-kun, not after what happened earlier this morning, but Ludwig-san?_ Slightly pink, Japan glanced over at the Greek, now sleeping softly with cats curled on his stomach and around his head.

Distracted, he hadn't really been listening to Germany and Italy's quiet conversation across the table; after all, it would have been rude to eavesdrop on what seemed to be a private conversation among lovers. _Especially when said couple are both good friends of mine. _Kiku noticed something: _They're not talking quietly anymore. . .what did Feliciano-kun just say? Something about a "Mattie"?_ It perked his curiosity. "You wouldn't be speaking about Matthew-san, would you?"

"Yeah, we are!" Feli cheerfully said. "We were just talking about the fact that him and Gil-niichan are going out~ Ow!" Germany had cuffed him on the head again. Tilting his head upward to face the German, Feli whined, "Ludi~ what was that for?"

"Feli, you shouldn't talk about them behind their backs." Ludwig sighed. "It's like gossip, you know?"

"Oh. I'm sorry, Ludi~ ve~ you're not mad are you?" Feliciano impulsively hugged the other.

"So they finally became a couple, is that so?" Kiku cut in, and smiled. "I was beginning to think that they might never make it."

"Eh~? You knew about them already, Kiku?"

"No, I'm good friends with Matthew-san," Kiku explained. "I was aware that Matthew-san harbored feelings toward Gilbert-san, but not that Gilbert-san returned them as well."

"Oh, I didn't know you and Mattie were friends, too!" Feli frowned. "I could have enlisted you for the team!"

"Team? What team would you be referring to—" Japan was suddenly interrupted by a low grumbling.

"Feli, did you eat breakfast today?" That was Germany.

"Ve~ As a matter of fact, I didn't, come to think of it. I was really excited to come visit Kiku cause I haven't in a while and —"

"All right, all right." Ludwig sighed. "I get it." _You should take better care of yourself, Feliciano._ He nodded at Japan. "If it's all right with you, I'll head out and go pick up some more food."

"I'll come with you." Nobody had noticed Heracles waking up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "There's some stuff I'd like to get too."

"OK! I can explain to Kiku while you guys are shopping~" Italy cheerfully said, tugging on Japan's arm. Kiku merely nodded as the two taller nations left, and thought, _I must remember to go grocery shopping later. . ._

"Anyway, like I was saying, I should've recruited you for the team!" Feliciano laughed, and tugged on Kiku's sleeve to sit closer.

Nonplussed, Kiku frowned. "Feliciano-kun, I still don't understand. What team?"

"The 'Let's Get Gil-niichan and Mattie Together!' team, of course!" Italy declared proudly. "Al and I came up with the name, but Arthur said it sounded overly something. I don't remember what he called it though. It might've been 'hopeful'. . ."

"Was it only the three of you?"

"No." Feli pondered the question, counting people off on his fingers. "There was me, Al, Arthur, Fran-niichan, Tonio-niichan, and Elisaveta."

"Elisaveta-san? Really. . ." Japan raised an eyebrow. _Well, if she pairs Gilbert-san off with someone else, maybe he might not have time to bother her and Roderich-san. And maybe then. . ._ "Well. Perhaps she won't have to throw a frying pan at Gilbert-san at world meetings anymore."

"Ve~ I think she said something like that. . .but she still might do it anyway." Feliciano shrugged.

"So. . .how'd you get them together?" Kiku leaned in, a mischievous smile lurking at the corners of his mouth. "Set them up on a blind date?"

"Something like that. . ." Feli laughed, and leaned in closer as well.

Meanwhile, the other nations were making their way to the supermarket, each occupied with their own thoughts:

Germany thought, _I can't believe that Feli's still hungry even after eating all of that pasta._ He, as well as the other two, had watched Feliciano devour most of the pasta he'd brought over. He sighed, and was hit by the urge to plant palm to face. _Even after all this time, he still manages to surprise me._ Ah well. He could muse about the Italian later; right now, he had to get food.

Greece thought, _I wonder what I should get? Last time I tried the strawberry Pocky, I got distracted and then the cats got it. Hmm. . .but the original's pretty good too. I'll just get both,_ he concluded, _with some extra for everyone else._ He took a look at Ludwig. — _I wonder if he's tried it yet? _ — but was distracted by a sudden sigh from the blond.

"Something wrong?" Ludwig wasn't expecting Heracles to say anything. _We haven't really spoken much._ After all, at the annual world meetings, the nation could most often be found sitting next to Spain with a cat or two, or sleeping. _Maybe that's just a cover for something else, though. . ._

Ludwig shook his head. _The last World War was over a long time ago. He seems OK. Besides, Japan's no fool._ "No matter what Feli eats or how much he eats of it, I've never been able to figure out where it all goes. Plus, I can't believe that he skipped breakfast."

Heracles laughed. "To his stomach, where else? It seems to me that he just has a good metabolism." _I haven't really gotten the chance to speak to Germany face to face. Usually, I see Feliciano, not Germany. But I think it's nice that they've remained friends even after the war._ He changed the subject to avoid any awkwardness. "That's easily remedied. Do you know what you're going to get at the market?"

_Now that I think about it. . ._ The German shrugged, and admitted, "No, not really." He paused for a bit, and diplomatically asked, "Do you have any suggestions?"

". . .Yeah. Do you know what Pocky is?"

". . .Pocky?" _That sounds familiar. . ._ "I've heard of it." _I think I've seen Feli eating some with Japan a couple of times. They asked me if I wanted to try some, but. . ._ "I haven't tried it myself, though."

"I see." _So he hasn't tried it, after all._ Greece smiled slowly. "There's a first time for everything, I guess. Personally, I think it's pretty good. . . .and it looks like we're here." This last statement was accentuated with a tilt of the head.

They went inside, and for a couple of seconds stood awkwardly. Germany broke the silence first, and delicately said: "Meet back by the registers in, say, ten, fifteen minutes?"

Heracles nodded, and set off in search of Pocky — but not before grabbing a basket. As he was scanning the aisles to see where the Pocky was, he caught sight of a familiar glass bottle. He smiled, and grabbed several of them before meandering back to his Pocky quest.

Ludwig, on the other hand, was having some difficulty trying to decide what to get. _I guess I'll just go up and down the aisles to see if there's anything interesting._ He passed the produce section, the bakery section, and the meat section. _Still nothing._ Then came the frozen food section.

. . .And inspiration strikes! Germany really did face-palm this time. _Of course — why didn't I come up with this before!_ _The perfect thing for summer, is, of course. . ._ As he leaned over to choose one that Italy would like, a gentle smile was tugging at his mouth. _. . .Actually, a variety might work better. Maybe Feli would like this one more. . ._

A couple of minutes later, the blond hurried to pay for his purchases, a smile still gracing his face as he did so. Greece, who'd already paid for his food, was waiting near the front of the store. He observed the happy expression on Ludwig's face and wondered, _Why does he look so happy?_ But, seeing that the German had paid for his food and was already heading out the door, he shrugged the question off and followed.

In his hurry to get back to Feliciano, Ludwig had almost forgotten about Greece. Glancing back, he noticed that the Greek was easily catching up in pace, so he didn't say anything.

". . .Get anything good?" Heracles asked as soon as he caught up. _He sure is in a hurry, isn't he?_

Still in a rush, Ludwig nodded, and said softly, ". . .Yeah. I think Feli will like it. . ."

Greece smiled. _So that's why he was so happy earlier._ He laughed quietly as he thought to himself, _After all, what could be better than making the person you love smile?_

TO BE CONTINUED! (Please bear with me, as my muse is a very spastic individual.)


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